New-York tribune., 1887-11-22
PARIS UNDER SIEGE.
expERrENCEs or TIE LATE MINISTER
WAsHBURRk

Nothing ia more curious 10 Mr.. Washburue's In
t,ss.tine work than its strong nnlkeness 70 any
o..,er uubl,shed "Reminiscences Of diplomatist."
Our distinguished coun,ryman represented the
un,ed States usefully and credItaby at the French
CAPITAL for m,re than Giant years; but 10 rha. long
term of service he seems never TO have acquired, or
wished to acquire. the diplomatic cast of mind and
fashion Of speech. One thinks Of him as conscisu
t,ou lv and efficiently transacting the business of
his office without taking much interest in the in
trixues Of his colleagues, the secret purposes
of their governments, the complications
OF European politics. Tho court bored
him. OF visit to Con pIegne In the last brilliant
days of the Empire. he records that though pleas
ant and agreeable enough Ii was very fatiguing.
and ne rejoiced when 1t came TO an end. lie diu
not trouble himself about the inside view OF AFFAIRS
II is that during the most exciting part OF h's
ministry. 20 itical changes In France were 1orceo
with such brutal openuess that the SURFACE view
was the con- plete view but Mr.. Washburne wou'd
no, have been likely. under any circumstances 70
explore dark ways of statecraft. In speaking OF
pubic men he docs not analyze "haracter' out ne
gives us the impressions derived from per ona
intercourse sometimes wiih an amusing irankness
His nara i've Is bespattered with some unneces-
sary French, but that Is the result of careless
habit. not ali affectati0u. He is q good American.
who thinks that our foreign ministers are paid
quite enough. that II they want to make "a
sp,urge" they should do 1t at their own exoense,
that 1t is we'll to deny them dipiomat'c
uniform. that the American women who marry in'o
the French arlstocracy. and are then at pains 10
keep aioof from everything American, ought to be
ashamed of themselves He likes to tase his ease
not only in his PLAIN American coat. but In bis
PLAIN American slang Whom ministry changes,
there is "a new deal" When dynasty falls,
"the jig is up There 10 something Impressive in
this uncontamiLated democrat, who stood nj his
post III ough so many trials and dangers. not only
faithfully guarding his own countrymen, but earu-
ing the gratitude of Germany for his efficient bro
lection of her sui jects in Paris at most perons
tIme and who came home unspolled after a iouRcr
term than any other American dplomatist, except
Franklin ever served in France. 1t is still The
honest Gaena Congressman who writes these
RecoIleco,ons Of Minister to France"
Napoleon once said to Mr. Washburue
that the great trouble with the french
was that they looked to the Government
for everything instead of denending upon them
Selves and in illustration of the remark he told OF
an in cIdent which happened to h'm at Versailles
when he was President of the Republic. He was
on horseback when an old woman stopped him to
complain that she had lost her umbrella, urging
that the Government ought to furnish her wit
,crIp,on of the proclamation of the Republic IN
Paris only few months after this con versation,
one realizes that now aud then the French people
take things upon themselves with great deal of
alacrty. Our Minister present at the last ses-
SION of the Legislative Body under the Empire,
when Jules Favre moved the deposition OF the
Bonaparte dynasty. Itwas night Of extraordinary
excitement yet the scene in the Chamber app ars
to have been less violent and less stirring than that
which attended the fall of the Olivier Ministry
But neither Favre's motion, nor the proposal
of NJ, Theirs for commission of government and
national defence. was ever brought to vote. Dur
ing a recess pending the consideration OF these
measur by a committee the populace and the Ma
tiona Guard fraternlzed and rushed into the build
Ing with shouts for the Republic. They occnpied
the vacant Hall of Deputies, seating themselves at
the members DESKS writing letters. reading docu-
ments trOoping up and down the tribune, ringing
the presidents bell, talking. Laughing. amusing
themselves all in the best Of hunOr. the soldiers
and the mob together. Such was the gathering
which noisily proclaimed the "decheance" of Ma
poeon ILL., aud then proposed to go to the Hotel de
Vile and announce the Republic. There Mr.. Wash
burnc again found the populace and the National
Guard arm-in-arm, the building invaded aud over
flowing the streets and square thronged with peo-
pie, shouting wildly, but seeming to have no
Thought OF violence. when Oanpobit dppcdicu ~
one of the windows Of the Hotel de Vile, and
proclaimed the Republic. throwing out lists OF the
members OF the new provisional government there
was tremendous 0utburst of enthusiasm, and the
sevolutioD was accomplished Not drop of blood
bad been shed. Indeed there was no resistance.
AT 8 O'clock" says Mr. Washburne. 81 rode down
TO tie Corps Leglslatf to see what the situation
there was but on my arrival found everything
clcsed and the lights extinguished The doors
leading 10 the Hall OF the Deputies had been shut
aud seals put upon them. / then drove through
some pats of the city, and found everything re-
marka6ly quiet" The good nature of the people
and the perfect ease with which the revolutionary
government everywhere went into operation iiiled
Mr. Washburne with astonishment. Even the
mob which overran the Tuiieries contented itself
with looking at the splendors of the Palace. and
neither broke nor stole.
The Republic was promptly and cordially
cecoanized by the United States, first Of all the
Powers. and this circumstance was OF usc
10 our representative in position which called for
the exercise of great tact and patience. French
patriotism became extremely exacting and fantas-
TIC as the war went on: and although the Arnerl-
can Minister kept on good terms with all the vari-
ous officials of the period yet the diplomatic pro-
tee or of the Germans. and the only man IN Paris
who was allowed to send and receive a1etter-bag
through the German lines, he was sometimes an op-
iect OF painful interest to the sensitive Gaul The
newspapers attacked him; it was pr"posed IN one
~0ftnu clubs to hang him; and Jules Favre, VINO
knew better was small enough TO say, IN the course
of an official inquiry. that Mr.. Washburue was
favorable 20 Germans during the siege. Recording
which unfriendiy criticism, Mr. Washbnrne imme-
diately adds scandalous story about Favres pri-
yate life Tie rapidity of the retaliation is anus
inely ingenious.
While the establishment of the Republic was ef-
fected without disorder. the disappearance OF the
wei-organized imperial police was followed in
Paris by very noticeable decentralization. The
streets were no longer safe; and significant phe-
pomenon was the sudden pnttipg forth of tho foul
.at .,,a ,,.st ,hs,o,n Utarafure which was often